What I learned today: Cleft lip & palate is the #1 birth defect in developing countries - over 200,00 kids are born with one every year, often leaving them unable to eat or speak. Today's charity, Operation Smile, provides free surgeriesto these children. And get this: each surgery only costs $240! So let's see how many smiles we can bring today, eh?

Those are cute, but I got excited hoping the snow globe one was one of the elusive actual-edible dome things I've heard rumours about, so I was a bit disappointed that it's just plastic. Yes, it's lovely, but I'm always extra-impressed when the art is confined to edible media.

How adorable - they're all my favorite! I just had to know how to make a snowglobe cupcake, and when I went to Bakerella's site I fell in love with her Cake Pops. Such a cool idea that I would have never ever thought of myself.

I must admit that I've been so excited about the charity thing, that I scroll down to find out what charity is being featured today. Then I go back up to look at the cakes. Geez, look at me with my priorities all out of order. ;-)

Done! My husband and I just watched "The Cove" last night, and I'd like to nominate their organization to become one of the recipients of the CakeWrecks fund drive. From their website:

The Cove exposes the slaughter of more than 20,000 dolphins and porpoises in Taiji, Japan every year, and how their meat, containing toxic levels of mercury, is being sold as food in Japan and other parts of Asia, often labeled as whale meat. The majority of the world is not aware this is happening as the Taiji cove is blocked off from the public. The focus of the Social Action Campaign for The Cove is to create worldwide awareness of this annual practice as well as the dangers of eating seafood contaminated with mercury and to pressure those in power to put an end to the slaughter.

It's an amazing film, and incredibly good work. I've always felt like dolphins and whales must be as smart and self-aware as humans are, and it just seems like a horrific crime to let them be slaughtered like this. Please take a look! Thanks.

There are sprinkles, and then there are gold dragees. I usuanlly don't see myself biting into any of the masterpieces on Sunday Sweets, but those gold-decorated chocolate beauties have my mouth watering.

And thank you for Operation Smile. My niece was born with a cleft lip and palate, and it is a devastating birth defect. The children and their families have such a long road ahead of them (sometimes 6 surgeries before their 18th birthday). Thank you for brining awareness, Jen! You're doing God's work.

P.S. My niece is healthy, happy little firecracker! I feel like we're the lucky ones for having her in our lives.

If you're still looking for a good charity, Feed My Starving Children (fmsc.org) is a sweet organization that sends food all over the world (Haiti, Nicaragua, Indonesia, and Uganda are some of the big ones) - but the cool thing is it's all packed by volunteers.

I especially love the snowflake cupcake. (I love cupcakes, they're cute. They make me happy as long as they are separate.)

@Rose: same with me.

RE the charity: yes, there are a ton and I'm glad you guys are choosing to donate to Operation Smile. I was born with a cleft lip & palate (albeit in the US, and I was/am - lots of orthodontic work still - being treated). I consider myself lucky as heck and I think my life is amazing.

I'm still too young to have a credit card (I wish....) and I can't donate myself, so all I can do is give a little sales pitch. These kids, unlike me, are often raised believing that they are cursed because of their defect. They're shunned and they don't get the opportunities the rest of their family gets - which are already small enough.A smile is something we all should be able to give.

Operation smile is a great organization. To any of you out there who are Child Life Specialists, they always take at least one CCLS on their trips to help prepare the children for their surgery. They are the only medical missions group that specifically has a slot for CCLSs, to my knowledge.

My grandfather had a cleft lip when he was born, and the organization "Smile Train" sewed him up for free. His father, my great-grandfather, didn't have that sort of luck. His cleft palate was sewn up via his mother's sewing prowess. Mad props to you for acknowledging and supporting one of these amazing charity organizations! And a merry Christmas to you and yours!

I'm really glad to see Operation Smile as the charity of the day. One of my two nephews has a cleft lip, and while that probably seems like a cosmetic problem to most people, I've learned from experience what a huge problem it can be for feeding a baby. It can also cause a lot of nasal and inner ear problems.

I saw on the Operation Smile website there's a matching donation program on right now, and I was worried if I went through First Giving it wouldn't happen. But I wanted you to know this post inspired me to donate $200 directly to Operation Smile. Thanks for doing this. -lisa

These are just adorable. And also wanted to say thank you for requesting donations for Operation Smile. I was born with a cleft lip and palate, and it's tough enough going through all the surgeries and treatments in a developed country like here in Australia, let alone in a developing country. Bless you both and hope you had a wonderful christmas :) Chloe xx

Re the cleft lip surgeries: I was shocked to see a baby with a cleft lip (and possibly palate) recently, in the USA. I was surprised it wasn't fixed before the baby went home. Yet another thing to show that rural counties are behind the city in healthcare, I guess.

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